Automatic gun



I. T. THOMPSON.A

AUTOMATIC GUN.

APPLICATION man Dsc. 2. 1920.

1,425,810, y PatentedAug. 15, 1922.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFHCE.

JOHN TALIAFERRO THOMPSON, OF NEWPORT, KENTUCKY, ASSIGNOR, BY DIRECT AND MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, T0 AUTO-ORDINANCE CORPORATION, 0F NEW YORK, N` Y., A

CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

AUTOMATIC GUN.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 15, 1922.

Application led December 2, 1920. Serial No. 427,893.

To all who/m, t may concern Be it known that I, JOHN TALIAFERRO THOMPSON, citizen of the United States of America, and resident of Newport, in the county of Campbell and State of Kentucky, have invented new and useful Improvements in Automatic Guns, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a breech closure mechanism for an automatic gun and in particular to that type which provides a restraining means or a lock for the closure when in position closing the tiring chamber and releasing the closure for the operation of the gun mechanism.

The principal objects of this invention are the securing of extremely rapid fire combined with a smoothness of action by the provision of means, whereby the restraining means operates in synchronism with the closure, continuous with the closure movementv and in a path continuing in the same sence into and out of restraining position. These and other objects will appear from the following description:

To attain these objects the structure, chosen for their embodiment and hereinafter described, has a positive means whereby the reciprocatory motion of the breech closure is converted in a motion of a rel straining means transverse of the closure and continuing in the same sense for both directions of movement of the closure. More specifically, the means selected includes a rotating shaft fiXedly connected to a rotating block in which the restraining means is mounted and two cams and cam grooves connecting the shaft and closure, one cam operating on the forward movement and the other on the rearward movementof the closure to rotate the shaft in one direction for both movements of the closure.

For illustration a specific embodiment is set forth in the following description and in the accompanying drawings in which Fig. 1 is a longitudinal section of a gun receiver showing the parts in an assembled relation.

Fig. 2 is a transverse section on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is adetail showing the closure and shaft connection,

Fig. 4 is a transverse section on the line 4-4 of Fig. l relating to the same detail.

In the receiver 1 is mounted for reciprocat-ion, a breech closure or bolt 2 and a recoil spring 3 for urging the closure into its forward position. Made integral with the closure is-an extension 4 with opening 5 extending through it for the passage of a shaft 6. At one end ,of the shaft 6 is a block 7 of cylindrical shape, and on either side of the block are journals 8 andQ 9, seated in bearings 10 and 11 which are formed as part of their receiver. The other end 12 of the shaft is journaled in a bearing 13, threaded in the rcceiff-: To take up the end thrust on the shaft, collars l-l and 15 are provided, the latter being removable to permit assemblage. Ball bearing between these collars and their seats in bearings 9 and 10 minimize friction.

In the opening 5 are secured two sleeves 16 and 17 (Figs. 1 and 3) through which the shaft passes. On one end of the sleeves are ratchet teeth 18 which cooperate with ratchet teeth 19 similarly placed on the end of sleeves 20 and 21 in axial alignment with the sleeves 16 and 17. An inwardly projecting cam 22 on the sleeve 20 its in a helical groove 23 on the shaft. and a similar cam 24 on the sleeve 21 fits in a like helical groove 25. but of opposite pitch` in the shaft 6. Duplicates of these cams and grooves, diametrically opposite. are also provided. A compression spring 26 holds the ratchet teeth in yielding connection.

The block rotates in a cylindrical seat 30 formed in the receiver. In the block are provided slots 27 (Fig. 2) which, as shown. are three in number, and in the slots are slidably fitted lugs 28. Compression springs 29 tend to force these lugs outwardly from the block. In the closure 2 is formed a slot 31 with which the lugs are adapted to cooperate. This slot 31 has a cam face 32 and the lugs have a similar cam face 33. These cam faces may have an inclination which embodies the principle described in the Blish Patent 1,131,319, March 9, 1915 for depressing the lug into its slot when the pressure in the closure is reduced to a desired amount as set forth in that patent. The pitch of the helical grooves in the shaft isl such that the shaft rotates a distance sufficient to moveI a lug from its initial into operative position lduring the reciprocation of the bolt. Consequently, as there(l are three lugs, the pitch selected is that which moves a lug one-sixth of a revolution during a single movement of the closure.

As shown in Fig. 2, the lugs 28 are substantially twice as wide as the closure 2. f The receiver is formed with guides 33 and gives the pin a blow in the forward'direc-` tion as the lug moves upwardly.

On the extension 4 are provided notches 4for co-operation with a sear 36 for hold-` the closure in its rearward position. The sear and its operation forms no part of the present invention and its disclosure is therefore omitted.

For assembling purposes, the receiver is made in two parts 37 and 38 separable along the vline of 39 as shown. The upper halves of the bearings 10 and 11 are integral with the part 37 while the lower halves are integral with the part 38. The closure 2 and the shaft 6 and associated parts are placed in the part 37, the closure being in retracted position. The closure` is -t-hen moved forward and the spring 3 inserted. The lower part 38 of the receiver with the trigger mechanism is then put in place and secured.

In operation, the closure 2, being in retracted position, is released from the sea-r. The closure moves forward, rotating the shaft 6 one-sixth of a revolutlon. so that a lug 28 rotates into alignment with the vertical plane of the closure as the slot 31 comes into position for the lug to be sprung into it by its spring 29. The sliding movement of the lug" at the same 'time operates the firing pin and the recoil due to the firing causes tHe cam face on the closure to press on that on the lug. If the Blish angle is used, a depression of the lug occurs when the recoil pressure has been reduced to a. definite amount. The depression of the lne' mto its slot out of the 'path of the closure permits the closure Vto continue its rearward movement, and this rearward movement causes a rotation of theilug through another slxth of a revolution into contact withtlmwalls of the seat 30. This movement of thelug is .in the same angular direction as its prevlous entry; The next forward movement of the closure repeats this action turnmg the lugs through another. sixthpf a'rev- 427,892 led on even date herewith. I have illustrated another species of the invention here presented. Trigger and magazine mechanism for use with the structure of this application are shown in copending application Serial No. 427,891 filed on even date herewith which discloses and claims the generic invention.

I claim:

1. A gun comprising a breech closuremovable into and out of firing position, meansl separate from the closure for -restraining the closure in firing position, and mechanism positively connecting said means with said closure and actuated kinematically by said closure to move said means into and out of restraining position synchronous- 1y with the movement of the closure.

2. A gun comprising a reciprocatable breech closure, rotary means for restraining said closure in firing position, and mechanism actuated by the closure for positively rotating said restraining means in one continuous path into and out of restraining position in synchronism with the closure.

3. A gun comprising a breech closure movable into and out of firing position, means separate from the closure for restraining the closure in ring position, and mechanism positively connect' said means with said closure to move sai means. in the same sense, into and out of restraining position synchronously with the movement ofthe closure.

4. A gun comprising a reciprocatable breech closure, rotary means for restraining said closure in firing position, and mechanism actuated by the closure for positively rotating said closure, in the same angular direction, into and out of restraining position in synchronism with the closure.

5. A gun comprising a breech closure movable into and out of firing position, means movable into and out of position to restrain said closure in ring position, and mechanism kinematically connecting said means with said closure so that the restraining means moves at a rate bearing the same proportion to the rate of movement of the vclosure at every instant.

' 6. A gun comprising a breech closure reciprocatable into an'd out of firing position, means `for restraining said closure in firing position. said means having a rotatable portion, and mechanism kinematically connecting said means With said closure so that said portion rotates at a rate bearing a constant proportion to the rate of movement of the closure.

l'. gun comprising a breech closure movable into and out of firing position, means movable in the same sense into and out of position to restrain said closure in firing position, and mechanism kinematically connecting said means with said closure so that the restraining 4means moves at a rate bearing the same proportion to the rate of movement of the closure at every instant.

8. A gun comprising a breech. closure reciprocatable into and out of firing position, means for restraining said closure in firing position, said means having a rotatable portion rotatable in the same sense into and out of restraining position, and mechanism kinematically connecting said means With said closure so that said portion rotates at a rate bearing a constant proportion to the rate of movement of the closure.

9. A gun havinga breech closure movable into and out of firing position, and means for restraining the closure in firing position, said means comprising a carrier movable adjacent the path of the breech closure and at an angle thereto, and a spring-pressed lug movably mounted on the carrier to move behind an abutment on the breech closure in a certain position of the carrier.

10. A. gun having a breech closure movable intoand out of firing position, and means for restraining the closure in firing position, said means comprising a carrier movable adjacent the path of the breech closure, and a spring-pressed lug movably mounted on the carrier to move behind an abutment on the bre-ech closure in a certain position of the carrier, said lug having a closure-engaging surface inclined to the path of the breech closure at such angle that the lug is automatically forced out of the path of the' closure by the breech pressure acting through the closure after the breech pressure has decreased to a safe value.

11. A gun comprising a reciprocable breech closure, means rotatable in one direction for restraining said closure in firing position, and mechanism actuated by the closure for positively rotating said restraining means into and out of restraining position in synchronism with the closure.

12. An operating means for a restraining means for a breech closure slidable in a receiver of a gun, consisting of a shaft rotatably mounted in said receiver and associated with the restraining means, a member carried by the closure, a ratchet connection between said member and closure, and means for rotating the shaft by the member, said means including a cam and groove, whereby said restraining means is moved substantially throughout the period of movement of the closure.

13. An operating means for a restraining means for a breech closure slidable in a receiver of a gun, consisting of a shaft rotatably mounted in said receiver and associated with the restraining means, a plurality of members carried by the closure, ratchet connections between said members and the closure, and means for operating the shaft by the members, said means including cams and grooves.

14. An operating means for a restraining means for a breech closure reciprocable in a receiver of a gun, consisting of two members carried by the closure and rotatable therein, ratchet connections between said members and the closure, the ratchet connection for one member being opposite in engagement to that of the other member for locking said members alternately to the closure upon each reverse movement of the closure, a shaft rotatably mounted in said receiver and associated with said members and the restraining means, said shaft and members having cooperating clams and grooves to rotate said shaft by the member locked to the closure.

Signed by me at New Canaan, Connecticut, this 30th day of November 1920.

JOHN TALIAFERRO THOMPSON. 

